Dust and like solid particle separator



Aug. 20, 1968 A. F. DE VIGAN DUST AND LIKE SOLID PARTICLE SEPARATOR 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 9, 1964 at" III/ii] INVENTOR ANDRE Ede V/GAN BY MMwM ATTORNEYS Aug. 20, 1968 A. F. DE VIGAN 3,397,517

DUST AND LIKE SOLID PARTICLE SEPARATOR Original Filed Dec. 9, 1964 5Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

INVENTOR ANDRE E de V/GA/V MMQQM ATTORNEYS DUST AND LIKE SOLID PARTICLESEPARATOR Original Filed Dec. 9, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ANDRE E.de V/GAA/ MMr/QM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,397,517 DUST AND LIKESOLID PARTICLE SEPARATOR Andre F. De Vigan, 14898 Mayfield St., Detroit,Mich. 48205 Continuation of application Ser. No. 417,140, Dec. 9, 1964.This application Oct. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 587,386 6 Claims. (Cl. 55-400)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for separating solid particles froma gas comprises a casing having longitudinally continuous annular sidewall terminating in an open end inlet through which gas to be cleaned isintroduced, a motor mounted within the opposite end of said casing, anda combined fan and particle collection member having an end wall securedon the motor shaft having an axially extending cylindrical side wallextending substantial coaxially with and in close association with theannular wall of said casing and having an open end adjacent said inletbut within said casing, there being an internal annular imperforateparticle deposit and collection throat within the member at the open enda circumferential row of fan blades projecting radially inwardly axiallyinwardly of the throat with gas discharge openings being formed betweensaid blades, and there being a cleaned gas outlet opening in said casingside wall adjacent said gas discharge openings.

This application is a continuation of my co-pending application Ser. No.417,140 filed Dec. 9, 1964, now abandoned, for Dust and Like SolidParticle Separator.

This invention relates to devices for separating dust and like solidparticles from a stream of air or like gas and is particularly concernedwith a novel efficient structural arrangement that includes theprovision of a special removable receptacle which may be disposable.

The invention is an improvement over the type of device disclosed in myUS. Letters Patent No. 2,233,520 issued Mar. 4, 1941.

It is the major object of this invention to provide a novel device forthe separation of dust and like solid particles from a stream of air orother gas wherein the extracted particles are collected within theaxially outer throat section of a bladed driven fan disposed with acasing having an air inlet opening in communication with said throat andan air outlet at the periphery of the fan.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in such a device forthe removal and replaceable mounting of an open ended receptacle forreceiving the removed particles, which receptacle may be disposable.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceedsin connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation mainly in axial section showing a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation mainly in axial section showing anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG- URE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIGURE 4.

3,397,517 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 Referring to FIGURES 1-3, the unit isportable and comprises a casing 10 having a top handle 11 that may be anintegral extension of the casing. Preferably casing 10 may be a moldedone-piece plastic or cast metal part with integral handle 11. Casing 10may be cylindrical or of any desired cross-section to provide aninternal chamber 12 that extends to an open end 13 of the casing. A sideopening 14 in the casing wall is also in communication with the chamber12. The other end of casing 10 is closed by integral end wall 15 whichis preferably adjacent the handle. Thus chamber 12 is closed except foropenings 13 and 14.

Casing 10 is threaded at 16 around the open end for removably mounting anozzle member 17 which is preferably a molded plastic or cast metal unithaving an internally threaded boss 18 for mounting it on the casing anda bottom opening 19 that (FIGURE 2) is preferably elongated and extendstransversely with respect to the casing aXlS.

Internally casing 10 is formed with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced integral ribs 21 and a centered integral end wall boss 22. Abearing support 23 is removably secured on one or more ribs 21 as bymachine screws 24 which also extend through the stator 25 of an eletcricmotor 26 having an armature shaft 27 supported at opposite ends inbearing 28 of boss 22 and bearing 29 of support 23.

The hub 30 of a sirocco type fan 31 is mounted on shaft 27 as by setscrew 32. This fan is a sheet metal member having an imperforate radialwall 33 and a cylindrical skirt 34 from which the blades 35 are formedby punching and bending out of apertures 36 to the generally parallelinclined arrangement shown in FIGURE 3.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the outer open end of the fan 31 comprises axiallybeyond blades 35 an annular imperforate throat section 37 wherein theinner surface 38 is an outwardly diverging cone of small angularity.Section 37 preferably terminates just short of opening 13.

At the inner end of throat section 37 is preferably rigidly mounted aflat stop ring 39 projecting only a small distance into chamber 12. Thefunction of this ring is essentially to abut the inner end of an openended conical receptacle 41 of paper or like disposable materialslidably thrust into the open end of the fan assembly to be frictionallyheld there for a purpose to appear.

Referring to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that fan 31 has ample clearancewith the inner walls of casing 10 and that the hollow interior of nozzlemember 17 constitutes a gradually changing shape passage from nozzleopening 19 to casing opening 13. The eifective area of opening 19 isless than that of opening 13.

Casing opening 14 is opposite to and level with the row of fan blades 35and of an axial extent about equal to the fan blades. Since opening 14is an air outlet as will appear it should not be restrictive and shouldhave a total area at least as great or greater than air inlet opening19.

In operation the motor 26 will be suitably energized. This is the usualhigh speed fan motor and so the fan 31 is rotated at high speed. Thenthe device is grasped by handle 11 and nozzle 17 applied to the surfaceto be cleaned. The lips at nozzle opening 19 are smoothed so as not tosnag clothing, for example when the device is used as a clothes brush,or any fabric, rug or the like. The device will equally well beapplicable to hard or smooth surfaces although on smooth surfaces careshould be taken not to block off opening 19 entirely by pressing toohard onto the surface. Normally the air cushion of the stream of airdrawn in at opening 19 is sufficient to support the weight of the deviceto prevent such blocking of opening 19.

The dust or other particle-laden air entering nozzle opening 19 is drawnthrough the nozzle and opening 13 by the suction side of the fan. Thisentering air passes with a swirling action into throat 37. Little ornone of this entering air goes into the annular chamber space around therotating fan member, because this annular chamber space is incommunication with the higher pressure outlet side of the fan. Air afterpassing through the interior of the fan 31 and the apertures betweenblades 35 exhausts through opening or openings 14.

I have found that, in the foregoing organization of parts, dustincluding fine powder and like solid particles is accumulated in anannular deposit upon the inner surface of fan section 37, and that theair exhausted at openings 14 is essentially free of those particles.This deposit indicated at 40 in FIGURE 1 does not extend into the bladedsection of the fan 31, and so I have been able to provide for its readyremoval by insertion of the open ended receptacle 41 lining annular fansection 37. When sufficient material has been collected the nozzles areunscrewed and the paper receptacle 41 pulled out of the fan.

The foregoing action is such as to create a condition of localizedturbulence within the outer section 37 of the fan so that the particlesare apparently flung with considerable centrifugal force againstreceptacle 41 where they collect in a compact almost self supportingmass.

Referring now to the embodiment of FIGURES 46 this device is similar tothe usual vacuum cleaner in that it comprises a casing 51 having adownwardly facing opening 52 surounded by a smoothly beaded rim 53adapted to move over the rug or other surface to be cleaned of dust andthe like. A handle 54 has its bifurcated lower end 55 pivotally attachedto casing 51 on a generally horizontal axis at 56. Casing 51 may be ofmolded plastic or cast metal.

Internally casing 51 is centrally formed with a dome 57 containing aninner boss 58. A plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs 59 projectdownwardly from the top wall of casing 51, and an anular bearing support61 is secured to ribs 59 as by machine screws 62 which also pass throughthe stator 63 of an electric motor 64. Vertically disposed armatureshaft 65 of motor 64 has its upper and lower ends mounted in a radialbearing 66 at boss 58 and a combined radial and thrust bearing at 67 onthe support 61.

An imperforate annular sheet metal shroud 68 is 56- cured to support 61by screws 62 and to an internal casing rib 71 by screws 69 and formswith the casing and support 61 an enclosure for the motor 64. Withinthis enclosure a radially bladed fan 72 is non-rotatably mounted onarmature shaft 65 to circulate motor cooling air entering and leavingupper casing apertures 73. The electrical brush connection 74 to thecommutator of the motor enters the top of the casing.

Below the motor enclosure, shaft 65 extends through support 61 and has areduced diameter threaded terminal 75 on which is mounted a nut 76engaging a collar 77 non-rotatably slidably keyed on the shaft. Theupper end of collar 77 abuts the inner race of bearing 67 to load thatbearing when nut 76 is tightened.

A sirocco type fan 78 has an imperforate end wall 79 rigidly secured, asby welding, upon collar 77 below the support 61 so that collar 77 alsoserves as the fan hub. Fan 78 has a cylindrical section 81 formed with acircumferential series of punched out and bent in short inclined blades82, separated by apertures 83, as in fan 31, and an outer imperforatethroat section 84 that has an inner outwardly diverging surface 85 ofsmall angularity.

An open ended conical receptacle 86 of paper or like disposable materialis slidably thrust into fan section 84 4 into abutment with an innerrigid stop ring 87 and frictionally held there.

A series of air outlet openings 88 are formed in casing 51 opposite toand at the level of fan blades 82. Each opening 88 has about the sameaxial extent as a blade 82, and preferably the total area of openings 88may be at least as great or greater than the area of opening 52.

Casing 51 may be circular in cross section as shown, or it may befiat-sided for more close embracement by the bifurcated end of thehandle 54.

The operation of this embodiment is fundamentally the same as FIGURES1-3. The casing 51 is for example placed on a floor carpet to becleanedE and the motor started. The nature of the carpet and theincoming air cushion are sufiicient to enable air to bev drawn intoopening 52 and the considerable suction applied by the fan results inthe dust laden air entering the fan as a swirling stream. The dustparticles centrifugally separate to form an annular compact deposit onreceptacle 86. as in th earlier embodiment.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for separating solid particles from a gas comprising acasing having a. longitudinally continuous annular side wall terminatingin and definingan open inlet through which gas to be cleaned isintroduced, a motor unit mounted within said casing at the end oppositesaid inlet, a shaft driven by said motor unit, a combined fan andparticle collection member having an end wall and an axially extendingcylindrical side wall, means mounting said end wall of said combined fanand particle collection member on said shaft so that said member iswholly supported within said casing by said shaft, said cylindrical wallextending substantially coaxially with and in close association with'theannular wall of said casing and having an open end adjacent said inletbut within said casing, an annular imperforate particle deposit andcollection throat positioned internally at said open end of thecylindrical wall, fan means on said member comprising a circumferentialrow of longitudinal extending fan blades projecting inwardly from saidcylindrical wall and positioned axially downstream of said throatthereby defining gas discharge openings between said blades, and acleaned gas outlet opening formed in said casing annular wall adjacentsaid gas discharge openings.

2. In the apparatus defined in claim 1, said combined fan and particlecollection member being an integral member having a hub centrally ofsaid end wall for attachment directly upon said shaft.

3. In the apparatus defined in claim 1, means within said throat forpositioning a removable and disposable particle collection receptaclelining said throat.

4. In the apparatus defined in claim 3, said positioning meanscomprising axially fixed radially inwardly extending stop ring mountedwithin said member substantially at the juncture between said throat andsaid fan-means.

5. In the apparatus defined in claim 3, a nozzle housing removablymounted on said casing over said inlet and having an opening extendingtransversely with respect to said inlet and transversely with respect tothe longitudinal axis of said casing, said receptacle being removable byfirst detaching said nozzle housing from said casing.

6. In the apparatus defined in claim 1, said casing and member sidewalls defining an annular space between them which is in directcommunication at its inner end 5 with higher pressure gas emerging fromsaid fan discharge openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,420,665 6/1922 Newcombe 55-4081,513,763 11/1924 Rowe 230134.5

6 Riebel et a1. 55-408 X De Vigan 55-401 Robinson 55-406 X Wolfi et a155408 X 5 HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

S. W. SOKOLOFF, Assistant Examiner.

